Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions Ten In-Depth Observations
Jan 4, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks to throw as he is pressured by Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford (98) during the first quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
8. I hope people don’t start going after Matthew Stafford, because I thought he was solid yesterday, even if his play did tail off towards the end. Stafford looked poised when he faced pressure, and playing behind an injured offensive line has forced him to improve his pocket presence, which should be a strength of his going into the next season. He should have been intercepted on an ill-advised pass to Johnson in the end zone in quadruple coverage that never got to his target (Bruce Carter nearly picked it off), but his interception came on a pass that Jeremy Mincey tipped at the line for LB Kyle Wilber to clean up.
Stafford completed 28 of 42 passes for 323 yards and an average of 7.7 yards per attempt, and while it clearly wasn’t his best performance, he seemed above-average to me. The big issue for the Lions was the lack of big plays, but their inability to run the ball with consistency (Bell averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and Bush 2.7 if you take away his big TD) doomed them; it prevented them from allowing their receivers to break the bank for a big play.
If you’re looking for some knee-jerk reaction, a useless stat, or a hot take about how Stafford is the problem, then feel free to narrow your scope to a select few plays. Stafford isn’t a great QB and certainly wasn’t great yesterday, but he did a solid job. Again, he threw for over 300 yards and averaged 7.7 yards per attempt, so it’s not like he struggled. He made some insane throws (check out the dime he threw to Megatron, pictured on the fifth slide), but consistency for him and the offense (the offense seemed to lack balance yesterday) will still be needed going into the 2015 season.
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